Shloka 52
आगच्छन्ति दुरात्मानो यमस्य पुरुषास्तदा / प्राप्ते त्वीदृक्पथे घोरे जायते तस्य वेपथुः
āgacchanti durātmāno yamasya puruṣāstadā / prāpte tvīdṛkpathe ghore jāyate tasya vepathuḥ
ครั้นแล้ว บรรดาผู้รับใช้แห่งยมผู้ดุร้ายย่อมมาหาคนจิตชั่ว เมื่อถึงหนทางอันน่ากลัวนั้น ความสั่นสะท้านก็เกิดขึ้นแก่เขา।
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: The wicked-souled are apprehended by Yama’s attendants; encountering the ‘ghora path’ triggers involuntary भय and वेपथु—karma becomes experiential inevitability.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala as niyati-like compulsion for the ajñānī bound by doership; fear arises when the mind confronts its own stored adharma.
Application: Live so that death and accountability do not provoke terror: cultivate ethical conduct, confession/atonement, and remembrance of dharma.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: path/road
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yamadūta seizure and the ‘path’ descriptions (mārga-varṇana) in surrounding chapters
FAQs
This verse highlights that Yama’s attendants specifically seize the durātmā (wicked-minded), signaling that post-death consequences are tied to one’s karma and conduct.
It portrays the soul’s transition as a ‘ghora patha’ (dreadful route) for the sinful, where fear manifests as vepathu (trembling) upon encountering Yama’s agents.
Live with dharma—truthfulness, restraint, compassion—and reduce harmful actions; the text frames inner fear after death as the karmic echo of wrongdoing.